Perception and Knowledge of Patients from Different Regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia towards Oral Hygiene and Oral Hygiene Aids

A Review on Enhancing the Life of Teeth by Toothpaste Containing Bioactive Glass Particles

Purpose of Review

Dental caries or tooth decay is one of the communal problems in the world which can affect not only the oral health but also the general health conditions. The main objective of this systematic review is to explore the efficacy of bioactive glass-based toothpastes against cariogenic bacteria.

Recent Findings

Bioactive glass particulates containing toothpaste show better remineralization potential on demineralized enamel and dentin when compared with toothpaste containing various bioactive constituents such as fluoride and potassium chloride. These constituents in conventional toothpaste can rapidly streak off due to acidic impact in the oral environment as the bioactive glass provides minerals for demineralized enamel and dentin by forming a strong hydroxyapatite (HAp) layer on its surface. Further, the therapeutic ions present in the bioglass can resist plaque formation by raising the pH of the surrounding environment or saliva and create amicable media for healthier teeth.

Summary

Toothpaste containing bioactive glass particles undoubtedly displayed the remineralizing potentiality of the dental hard tissues. Dynamics of the mineralization through different bioactive glass materials needs further investigations. In order to prevent dental cavities and improve oral health, it is important to identify and study different effective bioglass particles in toothpaste.

Assessment of Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and DMFT Scores among Patients at King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa

Background and Objectives: Oral health is one of the most significant issues in public health. The Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index is a useful tool for assessing and measuring the state of oral health in a community. This study aimed to evaluate oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices among participants who visited a dental clinic at King Faisal University and to evaluate their DMFT scores. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted at the King Faisal University dental complex, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, using a simple random sampling technique. The data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire in English and Arabic. All statistical analyses were carried out using the SPSS 20 software. A chi square and ANOVA test were used to assess the association. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There were a total of 260 participants, of whom 193 (74.2%) were male and 67 (25.8%) were female. Most participants, 173 (66.5%), were between the ages of 18 and 28. The majority of the participants 191 (73.5%) believed that bad oral hygiene led to gum disease. Additionally, major issues while visiting dental clinics, the importance of routine dental clinic visits, the existence of a connection between oral and general health, brushing time and frequency of change of used brush were significantly influenced by gender (p < 0.05). In terms of the DMFT index, mean numbers of decaying teeth (D) were 4.82 ± 4.15, mean numbers of missing teeth (M) were 1.56 ± 2.94, mean numbers of filled teeth (F) were 5.17 ± 5.28 and mean DMFT score was 11.56 ± 6.32, with a statistically significant difference observed (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study concluded that, although some of the study participants neglected oral hygiene practices, the majority of participants had good knowledge and attitudes regarding the significance of oral hygiene. Owing to inadequate practices, the decayed, missing, and filled teeth scores increased with increasing age. Additionally, gender had no significant impact on the mean scores for decayed, missing, and filled teeth, although there were significant differences between age groups.

Knowledge Attitude and Practices of Patients Attending a Private Dental Hospital on Miswak

<p>Today, chewing sticks are being used commonly in the world. They are known by various names, including Miswak or arak in Arabic. The efficacy of Miswak and modern toothbrushes have shown a superior effect rather than use of toothbrush alone. This study aims to assess the Knowledge Attitude and Practices of patients attending a private dental hospital on Miswak. This is a cross-sectional analytical study. The study was conducted by means of a questionnaire, in order to obtain knowledge, attitude and practices of patients attending a private dental hospital on Miswak. An electronic copy of the questionnaire was prepared using Google forms in Arabic and distributed through social media. There were 342 respondents for the survey. About 93% of the participants selected that they use any oral hygiene aid as it is beneficial. Among all the participants only 2.3% of them used Miswak as an oral hygiene aid and 31.6% used both tooth brush and paste and Miswak. Majority of the respondents cleaned their teeth twice or thrice in a day. One of the main reasons of using Miswak by the participants was its religious background. The respondents prefer that the next generation would use a combination of Miswak and tooth brush.</p>